It’s officially February, so it’s time to talk about our great love: web development. Things started out slow (literally), but, it has really picked up some serious speed. There are a million reasons to love web development, but we’ll keep it concise. Here are 10 reasons we love web development:

Removal of Barriers

The internet allows anyone to have a presence or even a website online. In 1995, less than 1% of the world had internet access. As of June 2017, 51% of the world’s population has internet access. Clearly, there has been a huge shift in the past 23 years.

Today, a lack of knowledge of coding or web development is no longer an issue. With sites like WordPress or Wix, a business owner can make at least a basic website for their customers to use. However, there also professionals that can create a fully optimized, SEO-ranking site for you.

Finding Information

Finding information is a given on reasons to love the world wide web. The vast amount of information available on an unfathomable range of topics makes it possible to find anything you’d ever want or need to know. As a business owner, this means finding new processes, products and innovations to improve your services and stay at the top of your industry. For customers, this is finding a solution to a problem. The goal is for your business to be that solution, and to do that, it’s important that you’re easy to find.

SEO is the key to being found search results. All search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo have primary search results, where websites, videos and more are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users.

Sharing Information

Networking is a huge way in which businesses benefit from the web. Recommendations, reviews and social channels all help build brand reputations. Client testimonials on your own web page give credit to your brand and its products. Sites like Glassdoor and Indeed reveal what makes your company a desirable place to work and your culture unique.

As an individual, networking is a great method to put a face to your brand’s name, making your business more human rather than robotic on the internet. Business owner to business owner connections on LinkedIn enable information sharing on a wide range of topics, from industry secrets to hiring advice. Anecdotes are abundant as users share their experiences with failure, success and everything in between. Engaging with customers and your industry is easier than ever before because of the web.

Any Device

Whether you’re using a computer at the library or a tablet while hanging out at the coffee shop, the range of devices available today makes it easier than ever before to access the web. While this is a huge advantage for your business, it’s imperative that your site is optimized for a variety of devices. Words like responsive, static and fluid are key elements in making sure that your website appears the way you want it to, regardless of the device or screen size. Learn more about responsive design.

Revenue

Besides creating more traffic, there are numerous ways for your website to generate revenue for your business. Affiliate marketing, banner ads and pay-per-click advertisements are all effective ways to monetize your site. Each business is different, so it’s important to only use the monetization methods that work for your specific site. Learn more about generating income for your business.

Branding

You might think of online branding as only being the design of your company’s website and social media channels. While an aesthetically pleasing site is important, there’s no point in adding all the latest trends and technology to your site if it fails to contribute toward your end goal of driving traffic and growing sales.

Some businesses divide up their branding strategy, giving the design elements to one agency, SEO to another and web development to another. This approach creates ample opportunity for miscommunications which can lead to errors. Finding a marketing company that will take a cohesive approach to your branding strategy will make your life much easier and your branding online more effective!

Creativity

The web has allowed companies to convey information in more creative ways! This can be helpful when explaining your company’s process or how a product works. Infographics, videos and other visual elements can hold a viewer’s attention longer than text-only content – crucial since it takes only 50 milliseconds for a person to form a first impression. Need more proof? Check out Inc’s list of stats about the importance of online visual content.

Writing Platform

A website allows for more space than your social media channels. You can create a blog on your site – in which you can include information about your services or products, company news, workplace culture and more. Blogs boost SEO, share your expertise and create free PR. They also sharpen your business focus and define your audience with insights. A Hubspot survey reported that 60% of businesses who blog acquire more customers.

Accessibility

Gone are the days of being restricted by standards business hours. A website can be visited any time of the day or night. Beyond that, people can see what your business offers from anywhere. This allows for more opportunity for your business, instead of facing the usual limitations.

Endless Opportunity and Options

The web offers an endless amount of opportunity and options for your business to drive traffic and create sales. It can be overwhelming in developing a plan to utilize all the ways in which you can use the web to grow your business, especially when it isn’t your area of expertise.

Comprehensive inbound lead generation strategies can incorporate all areas of the web for your company – without breaking the bank. In fact, a fully optimal website will actually generate revenue and grow your business. Wondering what that process would entail? Learn about how we turned our own website into a powersite and how you can, too!